Just finished reading your comparative analysis on the above questions. Fantastic job! I'd encourage everyone to head over to your blog to check it out.

One question I've often asked myself, and I can't remember if Eric or Sword touched on it. Most of the talk regarding flanking center on the Confederate right/ Union left. What about a flank move the other way (to the west of Privet Knob)? There may be something terrain-wise that made it impractical, but I wonder if it was considered.

Also, since the flooded river was bad enough to block the Union from continuing to Nashville, would that same flooded river (which practically surrounds Franklin) made ANY flanking move impractical?

Anyway, great job on the comparison pieces. I follow it faithfully.

javal1,

Thanks! I think it was possible to attack the Union right terrain-wise, but there just wasn't enough time to get the job done. As it was, the Confederates attacked at 4 P.M., and in late November, the sun sets not long afterward. Still, that's an interesting question. Maybe Eric will happen along and read this thread and he can shed some light on it.

1. Why didn't Hood order up Lee's Corps and the artillery sooner? Did Lee's absence affect the eventual outcome?

Pherhaps he thought they werent needed.. Hood Did have artillery with him.. And they were used .3. Did an angry John Bell Hood "punish" Cheatham, Cleburne, and their men for their supposed failings when attacking breastworks?NO

4. If he didn't punish his men, why DID Hood attack?

I think he though it was last chance to catch before nashville

5. Why did Wagner decide to stay in an advanced position despite overwhelming odds?
It would be ones duty as Soldier to obey orders. And thats what he did6. Why did the Carter family remain in their house on the front lines?

They were told that more than likely there would be no battle ..

& when the bullets started flying it was to late to get out of the way..

9. Featherston's Brigade took massive casualties in a railroad cut from enfilading artillery fire. Was there any way to avoid this?

Not knowing the area and the lack time caused this.

11. Opdycke suggested after the war that he beat CONFEDERATE soldiers over the head with a pistol, rather than just his own Union stragglers. Was he telling the truth?

I would say so..

13. John Adams and his brigade were being slaughtered as they attempted to cross the Osage orange barrier. Adams suddenly spurred his horse to the left, finding an opening in the trees. As he galloped toward the Union line both he and his horse were shot. Where did Adams and his horse fall? Within or without the Union lines?

Pherhaps he thought they werent needed.. Hood Did have artillery with him.. And they were used .
Hood had only several batteries with him, a far cry from the number of units accoompanying Lee.

3. Did an angry John Bell Hood "punish" Cheatham, Cleburne, and their men for their supposed failings when attacking breastworks?NOAgreed4. If he didn't punish his men, why DID Hood attack?I think he though it was last chance to catch before nashvilleAgreed

5. Why did Wagner decide to stay in an advanced position despite overwhelming odds?It would be ones duty as Soldier to obey orders. And thats what he didCox ordered him to return to the main Union line at least twice, so when he stayed he wasn't obeying his latest orders.6. Why did the Carter family remain in their house on the front lines?They were told that more than likely there would be no battle ..

& when the bullets started flying it was to late to get out of the way..Agreed.

9. Featherston's Brigade took massive casualties in a railroad cut from enfilading artillery fire. Was there any way to avoid this?

Not knowing the area and the lack time caused this.Agreed.

11. Opdycke suggested after the war that he beat CONFEDERATE soldiers over the head with a pistol, rather than just his own Union stragglers. Was he telling the truth?I would say so..You would more than likely be wrong, at least according to Eric Jacobson's book.13. John Adams and his brigade were being slaughtered as they attempted to cross the Osage orange barrier. Adams suddenly spurred his horse to the left, finding an opening in the trees. As he galloped toward the Union line both he and his horse were shot. Where did Adams and his horse fall? Within or without the Union lines?It was on top of the worksAgain, according to Jacobson and Jack Casement, the Union Brigade commander there, the horse fell on the works, but Adams fell outside some distance away.

Actually the river was not so much the problem as the bridges being out. Schofield was forced to stay at Franklin while the Federal engineers repaired those bridges. As Jackson's Division of Forrest's Corps showed by getting across the river and engaging Wilson's cavalry the Harpeth was fordable. But with all of the Yankee cavalry east of the river, some 5,000 of Thomas Wood's troops positioned near the pike north of Franklin to protect the route of retreat, and Federal artillery in Ft. Granger that could sweep the ground east of the river if any flanking maneuver was tried, Hood, in my opinion, did not think moving around the Federal left en masse was a viable option. In fact, the only reason Hood sent Forrest across the river at all was to exploit any advantages the infantry might gain.

As to the feasability of attacking the Union right, at least two factors come into play. First, a significant ridge juts northward from the Winstead Hill area, preventing a great deal of maneuvering on that side of the field. That is why Bate had to be rerouted just to get into place on Brown's left. Secondly, and tied in with the terrain difficulties, was the lack of daylight.

Mr Opdycke did indeed "brag up" his story after the battle. His own letters trip him up on the pistol issue. One think I find amusing about this is Don Troiani's terrific painting entitled Opdycke's Tigers shows Opdycke about ready to crack a Rebel over with the head with his pistol. Well we now know this didn't happen because Opdycke said so. If anything Opdycke was about ready to smack it into the head of one of his own men (who he thought was shirking), as related by a man in the 125th Ohio was said he stopped Opdycke from doing that very thing.

Opdycke was a tough-as-nails fight, but a bit of a braggart.

I spent a great deal of time on Gen. Adams' because it was such a significant event and I thought the facts ought to be completely presented to the reader. I think more people wrote about Adams (especially from the Federal side) than any of the six generals who were killed at Franklin. Sorry Gen. Cleburne!! It is obvious what Adams did must have been truly incredible, because Federal soldiers wrote about it again and again. I think even into their old age they could never forget what they saw him do. Casement is pretty rock solid evidence that Adams was found outside the works. Refer to Casement's OR, written just days after the battle, for this info. The other info I laid out in my book is I think, relatively conclusive about truly happened to Adams.

Hey no big deal. I just reread both books and did a comparison and contrast, so that's the only reason I have this much knowledge of these issues. Honestly, if you didn't read my blog entry, you did a heckuva job just based on memory, something I doubt I'd be capable of.

CAN YOU TELL ME HOW/WHERE TO GET A COPY OF ERIC'S BOOK? Cost? Shipping? Etc. Many thanks!

I cried when reading "Five Tragic Hours" by McDonough and Connelly. This was not the Army of Tennessee's brightest hour when considering Hood's command decisions; however, the corps, division, brigade, and regimental leaders -- and, of course, the men in the ranks -- showed their finest qualities.

Has any one seen Civil War Combat's, the battle of Franklin ? I think it was one of the best of the series. I have read a few book's on the battle, but a couple of thing's were brought to my attention in this episode. Number one was when the confederate army of Tennessee marched into the state of thier name sake. Someone had placed a banner that read "Tennessee a grave or a free home". Does anyone know much about this ? Was it a citizen that placed this banner was it a soldier? Maybe no one know's. But if any one does I would like to hear about it. Number two after the fiasco at Spring Hill. Gen. Hood was in a rage with his genreal's for letting the union army pass unmolested. In effect Gen. Hood called the confederate army of Tennessee coward's. Gen. Forrest took out his sword and threaten to kill Hood. According to the episode a young girl was serving the officer's cookies when this happen's. She is immediately asked to leave after this happen's. The source of this story come's from her. Would any of the member's like to elaborate on this story?